Game apparatus.



PATENTED AUG. 15, 1905.

RIGHT HAND LEFT HAND RIGHT HAND UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1905.

Application filed March 4, 1904. Serial No. 196,595.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES N. LAMONT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Weatherly, in the county of Carbon and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to games, and has for its object to afford an intellectual exercise as well as an interestingamusement.

The apparatus of the game is made up of a game-board or chart and a plurality of members or counters capable of being freely moved upon the board in accordance with the rules of the game; and the invention consists in the peculiar combination and arrangement of the elements of the apparatus, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure l isa plan view of the game apparatus of the present invention set up in condition for play. Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the arrangement of the counters at the end of the game or solution of the problem. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the counters.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each and every figure of the drawings.

The apparatus of the present invention embodies two main elementsviz., the board A and a plurality of freely-movable counters B, one of which has been illustrated in detail in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings, from which it will be seen that each counter is in the nature of a flat block, preferably in the form of a disk. While it is of course apparent that each counter may be of polygonal. form, experi ment has proven that the disk form is the most advantageous, as it materially facilitates the handling of the counters in the playing of the game.

The term board'which has been applied to one of the elements of this apparatus is used in its technical sense, and this board is made up of a comparatively stiff back of wood, pasteboard, or the like, and upon the upper or exposed face of this back is applied the chart with which the counters are designed to cooperate. The chart may be printed or applied directly to the back, or it may be printed upon a sheet of paper and the latter pasted or otherwise secured to the back.

In carrying out the present invention the chart element thereof is made up of a plurality of substantially concentric tracks, courses, or ways, which are respectively designated by the reference characters C, D, E, and F, beginning with the outermost course. Each way or course is defined by a pair of parallel lines or a comparatively broad band, and it is preferred to have the several courses or ways individually distinguished by means of different colors-that is to say, adjacentcourses will be made in different colors-so as to be readily distinguished. While each course or way may have a color differing from that of each of the other courses, it is not absolutely necessary to have a separate color for each course, as two colors are sufiicient by having them alternately arranged.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, four courses or ways have been shown, of which the inner course F is substantially rectangular in shape, the next two courses being rectangular, with rounded corners, and the outermost course being substantially circular in form. endless or continuous, while the outermost course is broken or interrupted, and there fore does not constitute a complete circular or endless course. Although four courses or Ways have been shown, a greater or less number may be employed without aflecting the spirit of the invention, and it is not absolutely necessary to adhere strictly to the shapes or forms of the courses or ways shown in the drawings, as these forms are arbitrary, and therefore may be considerably varied without departing from the principles of my invention. For instance, each of the courses or ways may be rectangular or of other polygonal form, and they may also be circular, if desired. Moreover, each course may be continuous or interrupted, as desired.

Upon each course or way is a series of spots or stations (indicated by the reference characters 0, d, e, and f) for the respective courses. Each of these spots or stations is defined by a border-line or a blank panel and is numbered consecutively from one end to the other of the course. In the present em- The three inner courses arebodiment the numbering of the spots or stations begins with the left-hand end of the outermost course or way and continues in order throughout the several courses, the outermost course having eight spots or stations numbered consecutively from 1 to 8, the next course having sixteen stations numbered consecutively from 9 to 24,

the next having ten stations numbered from 25 to 34, and the innermost course having eight stations numbered from 35 to 42. VVhile' I have shown the stations as numbered from the outer course to the inner course, the arrangement may be reversed, if desired, without requiring any other alteration in the apparatus.

The movable members or counters B, which are designed to cooperate with the chart of the game-board, correspond in number to the spots or stations on the chart, each counter having a number corresponding to the number of one of the stations and designed to be placed upon the correspondingly-numbered station to set up the apparatus in condition for play. There being forty-two spots or stations upon the present chart, there are of course forty-two counters, and when the apparatus is set up in condition for play each station is occupied by its corresponding counter. In addition to bearing numbers the counters are divided into groups or sets according to the number of ways or courses, and each set is colored to correspond with the color of the course or way to which it is to be applied, and this arranging of the counters into differently-colored sets constitutes an important feature of the present invention and is employed as a factor in the playing of the game or solution of the problem.

To play the game, the counters are placed upon their respective stations, and then they are umped from one to another in the manner of playing chess, checkers, and similar games for the result and in accordance with the rules set up in the following explanation.

The object sought in the solution of this game or puzzle is to arrange movable members B to form an arbitrary symbol by moving said members according to some prescribed rules. The arbitrary symbol selected for the form of the game or puzzle shown in the accompanying drawings is the number 18, as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, certain of the spots or stations of the several courses or ways being so disposed that when occupied by the movable members and the other spots or stations are unoccupied in accordance with a prescribed rule of play the said movable members, taken collectively, will exhibit a predetermined symbol.

1n view of the fact that the present invention is in the nature of a puzzle it is not desired to here disclose the correct solution thereof; but a partial explanation of the solution will be given.

A set of general rules may be employed, as follows:

Rule 1. Place the disks or movable members B upon the stations according to color and corresponding numbers.

Rine 2. Starting at any place on the board. take up one of the disks or movable members and jump or puss it over the two suc eeding disks in the same course or way and place it on the third member.

Rule 3. In moving or jumping the movable members must remain in their corresponding courses or waysthat is to say, a movable member of one color should remain in the course or way having the same color and should not be transferred to a course having another color.

Rule 4. Neither more nor less than two members should be passed over at a time. In passing over a stack of two members the member being moved should be placed upon the adjacent member upon the opposite side of the stack, for the reason that the stack of members is considered as two members. None of the members should be removed from the board. Unoccupied stations should be disregarded, and the actual movable members passed over should be consideredthat is to say, if one or more unoccupied stations intervenes between the member being moved and the next adjacent member to be passed over said unoccupied station should be disregarded and the member being moved pass over the two actual next adjacent members. When a member has once been played, it cannot be replayed, but must remain in the position in which it has been removed.

As a partial explanation of the manner of solving this problem the member designated 5 in the outermost course should be picked up and passed over the two members numbered 4 and 3 and placed upon number 2 to form a stack of members which cannot be again replayed. Next take up disk number 3 and place it upon member number 7 The station numbered 5 being unoccupied, the member number 3 is passed over the two members numbered 4 and 6. Then take up member 1 and place it on member 1. Station number 3 being unoccupied and two members resting upon station number 2 the number 4 member is passed over two of the members, and finally take up number 6 member and place it on the number 8 member, thereby completing the member 1 of the number 18. This general plan of moving or jumping is followed out in the remaining courses in an attempt to complete the member 8 of the number 18.

The purpose of having the disks or movable members numbered so as to correspond with the numbers on the stations is to permit of any individual member being readily returned to its original position should the player make a mistake, such as passing over too many members or inadvertently crossing over to another course or way.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. A game apparatus embodying in combination a chart having a plurality of courses or ways provided with series of spots or stations which are consecutively designated, and a plurality of movable members equal in number to the total number of spots and designated in accordance with the designations of the stations or spots, certain of the .spots or stations being so disposed that,

with its corresponding course and numbered consecutively in accordance with the numbering of the spots of said course, certain of the spots or stations being so disposed that, when occupied by the movable members and the other stations are unoccupied, said movable members will exhibit a predetermined symbol.

3. A game apparatus embodying in combination a chart having four substantially concentric courses or ways, each of which is provided with a series of spots or stations, and a plurality of movable members corresponding in number to the total number of spots, certain of the spots of the outermost course being so disposed that, when occupied bysome of the movable members and the other spots of the course are unoccupied, the movable members of said course will exhibit the numeral 1, and certain of the spots of the other courses being so disposed that, when occupied by the remaining movable members and the other spots of said courses are unoccupied, said movable members will exhibit the numeral 8.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES N. LAMONT.

Witnesses:

, J. W. HUNTER,

OBE DEER. 

